Capalbo, 52, opened his offices on Summer Street in 1989; he specializes in land use, real estate and commercial transactions, probate administration of estates and bank counsel. He has a degree from the University of Bridgeport School of Law and a bachelor's degree from the University of Connecticut.

On Tuesday, Capalbo said he is eager to serve the city as corporation counsel.

"I've lived in Stamford for a long time," Capalbo said. "I was kind of humbled by the offer. I consider it a challenge, and I look forward to helping out the administration."

Capalbo, a registered Republican, served on Stamford's 16th Charter Revision Commission in 2003 but has otherwise not been involved in Stamford politics. Pavia said he selected Capalbo based not only on his legal background, but also because he believes the attorney will be able to handle the external pressures that accompany the position.

"It wasn't only a matter of legal qualifications, it had a lot more to do with carrying the message and dealing with the public and dealing with the boards and dealing with the commissions and everyone else that he will be dealing with," Pavia said Tuesday. "He also has a steel will. If he strongly believes in his opinion, he will use his resources to maintain that opinion and deliver his opinion in the right way."

Capalbo, who has lived in Stamford for 20 years, said he is settling in at the Government Center and has no particular goal or objective yet.

"I've got no agenda except to do the best job I can in this position," he said. "Right now, I'm just trying to get my hands around the office. There's no particular issue on the forefront."

"He's a decent guy," Mallozzi said. "I don't think he has any agendas. He hasn't been very political, so I think it's a good choice."

Pavia's appointment completes a recent re-staffing of the Legal Affairs Department, which lost three key attorneys in recent months. In addition to Larobina, Deputy Corporation Counsel Sybil Richards and Assistant Corporation Counsel Ken Povodator left after Gov. Dannel P. Malloy nominated them as state judges.

The vacancies, especially the directorship, left the department stretched thin and forced the city to hire outside consultants to help with the workload.

"It's been difficult for the assistant corporation counsels to function without anyone being in charge," Board of Representatives President Randy Skigen said Tuesday. "Hopefully Mr. Capalbo will get up to speed as quickly as possible on all of the matters that are pending before them and be able to provide direction to the staff."

With Capalbo's appointment the department is now fully staffed, Pavia said.

The Board of Representatives earlier this month approved a contract for Vikki Cooper, a former city attorney for New Haven, to serve as Stamford's new deputy corporation counsel. The position is budgeted at about $123,000 for next fiscal year.

Former Human Resources consultant Christopher Dellaselva has also joined the department as assistant corporation counsel after the Board of Representatives narrowly voted to deny him a contract as the city's assistant human resources director. The vote came after union officials lobbied against Dellaselva's hiring because he photographed a union rally outside the Government Center last year. A complaint on the matter is pending before the state Labor Relations Board.

Pavia said Tuesday the recent vacancies in the Legal Affairs department were felt by all city departments.

"I think we've unfortunately had an absence in the (director) position, we've also lost key attorneys that carried with them a great deal of knowledge and experience," he said. "But I see that knowledge and experience within a level of commitment from both Joe and Vikki that will restore the operation of the Department of Legal Affairs and take it to the next level."

Capalbo's appointment leaves only one opening in the mayor's cabinet, which was missing three of its four members at the start of the year. Director of Operations Ernie Orgera, a longtime city employee, is the only cabinet member who has been with Pavia since he took office in late 2009.

In mid-January, Pavia replaced former Director of Public Safety Bobby Valentine, who left the city late last year to manage the Boston Red Sox, with former New York City fire official Ted Jankowski.

The mayor said he is down to three candidates in his search for a new director of administration to replace Fred Flynn, who left the city in early January.